A few days ago I stumbled upon this article on ZDNet: “Ubuntu Linux continues to dominate OpenStack and other clouds”.
It’s an interesting read and I have to say that I’m contributing to this success with my few websites (they are all on Digital Ocean with Ubuntu Linux – I didn’t actually choose the OS because pre-configured WordPress droplets comes with Ubuntu).
In any case, these numbers are indisputable but I have just one doubt. How many of those OpenStack and “other clouds” instances are contributing to Ubuntu revenues? As far as I know, not that much. I, for one, don’t pay support for those Ubuntu instances. In fact, the large majority of Ubuntu end users don’t pay for support and if they do, they usually go for the cheapest contract. I would be very curious to see a similar survey based on revenues and support contracts.
Don’t get me wrong, Ubuntu and many other companies in the open source space are doing really well when it comes to mindshare (look at Docker for example) but it’s hard converting it into real money… and sooner or later, regardless all the good intentions, without the proper monetization there is no “domination”.
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